


Lilibet

by Eleutherios



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-03
Updated: 2014-07-03
Packaged: 2018-02-07 07:41:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1890603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eleutherios/pseuds/Eleutherios
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve makes a friend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lilibet

Steve met Queen Elizabeth II once. No, really. Of course, she'd been Princess Elizabeth then. He'd been sent along with Peggy and some of the American top brass to recover some documents from an agent stationed at Balmoral. A bodyguard, they said, but it had really been a way of making him take leave.

Peggy and the other officers got out of the car first. It was nearly nine in the evening, and the light had failed fast; the wind was bitingly cold even in early autumn, and Steve felt sorry for the servants who were lined up outside the front door to greet them, most of them shivering visibly. They were met by a Captain Michael Belasis, in charge of the castle's security, who shook hands with everyone and saluted Steve, who saluted back.

As they were shown into the foyer, warm and bright, Steve glanced at the servants who were trudging away into the night, slightly alarmed. Where in God's name did they think they were going on a night like this?

Penny caught his worried look and explained in a murmur that servants weren't supposed to use the front door. Steve's mother had been a housemaid before coming to the States, but this was an aspect of servant life he'd never considered before. The silly bit, clearly.

"You won't be needed, Captain," said Captain Belasis smoothly. "Why don't you get some rest?"

Steve was about to object - he was here as a bodyguard, wasn't he? - but Peggy caught his eye and he relented.

"I'd appreciate that, Captain," said Steve. It wasn't a complete lie.

"Excellent. This is Patrick, he'll show you to your room."

Steve followed the young man in livery through Balmoral Castle, marvelling at his surroundings. High and beautifully airy, the walls were covered with paintings that gazed down in bemusement as if wondering what this strange American was doing wandering about. Brass and polished oak twinkled in the lamplight. If only Ma could've seen him now! The son of immigrants from Spitalfields (wherever that was) pottering around one of the King of England's castles!

"Do you know much about this place?" he asked the footman. "It's beautiful."

Steve was then treated to an impromptu lesson on one of the peculiarities of servants who worked for great families. Young Patrick was only too pleased to tell him who the various people in the portraits were, how this couch had been brought from Italy, that screen had been a gift from the Emperor of China, those miniatures had belonged to Napoleon, just as proud as if they'd been his own possessions sitting in his own castle.

Eventually, he was shown to a room more luxurious than any he'd ever slept in where some poor unfortunate had hauled up his luggage and lit the night-lights and told to ring if he needed anything. "Breakfast is at eight, Captain," said Patrick, and Steve bade him good night.

There was a fine fire going, and Steve changed out of his uniform and amused himself for a little while by admiring the room. He'd grown up poor and had spent the last few years in a touring musical sleeping in cramped hotel rooms, using Bucky's foot as a pillow and scratching fleabites. This was like something from a fairy story.

Steve didn't need to sleep much - maybe a couple of hour a night, and he'd already napped on the train from London - so after some tossing and turning and staring at the canopy, he began wondering what the rest of the house - the castle, he reminded himself - was like.

 _I wonder if they'd let me explore_ , he thought. As much as he knew it was a bad idea, he found himself putting on civvies and padding out into the hallway. Who knew if he'd ever come here again? He took a lamp with him and began to wander.

Corridor after corridor, room after room, everything seemed to float past in a haze of strange, beautiful otherworldliness. He felt like he was intruding on something lovely and special, but that just made it even better in a way - going where he wasn't supposed to go and seeing incredible things. He'd always been one for poking in where he didn't belong.

A few hours in, he rounded a corner and almost ran into someone coming the other way, holding a candle in a silver candlestick. She was a little girl, no older then twelve or thirteen, in a nightdress and thick, fluffy dressing gown. She looked up at him, eyes reproachful, the candlelight torching her hair in a soft halo.

"Are you supposed to be here?" she asked in a soft whisper.

"Not really," he replied. "Are you?"

 "I shan't tell if you don't."

"Deal."

"I was looking for the kitchens," said the girl. "Do you know where they are?"

"Not a clue," said Steve. "I just arrived tonight. I could help you find them. How hard can it be?"

The girl considered him for a moment, then nodded. "My name's Lilibet," she said.

"Captain Steve Rogers at your service."

"Are you Captain America?" she asked, taking his hand as they began to walk.

Steve chuckled. "Yep. Heard of me?"

"My governess cut your picture out of a magazine and wears it in a locket," said Lilibet, pulling a face. "And my sister has a box full of clippings about you."

"Guess you must be pretty tired of me by now, huh? Do your parents live here?"

"Sometimes," said Lilibet absently, peering down one side of an intersecting corridor. "They work for the Government. They sent me and my sister here so we would be safe from the bombs."

With Steve in tow, Lilibet eventually found the kitchens, where she proceeded to help herself to a tin of barley sugar hidden high on the top shelf in one of the pantries. Steve made them tea and accepted her gift of one of the sweets.

"What's it like to be a soldier?" asked Lilibet eventually. "It must be awfully frightening."

"A bit," admitted Steve. "Sometimes you don't know if you're doing the right thing or making the right decisions, and it's so dangerous that you don't really have a lot of time to think about it. But it's worth it. You get to protect people. You get to know that you're doing important work and changing the world."

Lilibet's eyes gleamed in the firelight. "I'm going to change the world someday," she said solemnly.

Steve grinned. "I bet you will, kid," he said, ruffling her hair. She scowled at him, which just made him grin even more.

They sat up quite late, talking and eating. Lilibet was a serious, mature girl, who seemed to have opinions about everything and a strong conviction that she would get her own way. With her calm manner and dark hair, she reminded him a little bit of a child-Peggy.

Eventually, he woke to the fact that it was past three in the morning and children had bedtimes for a reason, so he sternly told Lilibet that it was time for bed. She actually looked like she was about to argue, but he gave her his best Peggy Glare. He'd been on the receiving end himself a few times - it made him feel about three feet tall and dwarfed by Sister Mary Eustace at school. She met his gaze, but looked away first. Of course, she was only a kid - a few more years and she'd have rivalled Peggy.

They were walking back upstairs, arguing quietly about the American Revolution when up ahead, a door swung open, spilling a broad ray of golden light across the corridor. The sounds of voices emerged, and a moment later, so did a group of military officers.

"Oh dear," said Lilibet, her hand tightening around Steve's.

The officers stared. Steve and Lilibet stared back.

"Princess - " began Captain Belasis.

Steve made a sound like a squawk, and Lilibet and Peggy both gave him an identical look of mixed disappointment and disapproval. "Princess?"

Peggy sighed. "It seems superfluous to introduce you, since you seem to have already met, but - Captain Rogers, please permit me to present Her Royal Highness the Princess Elizabeth."

Lilibet - Elizabeth - let go of Steve's hand and stepped away, dipping a tiny curtsy. "Captain," she said blandly.

Steve had never bowed before but tried it anyway. "Your Highness," he said, trying not to panic.

The next morning, Elizabeth made faces at him across the table as they breakfasted with the princesses, their governess and Captain Belasis, making him snort with laughter as Peggy glared at him. So that was alright.


End file.
